Yesterday I went to a post graduate institute for a clinical meeting where they presented patients who went for a bath , & were recovered from the bathroom in unconscious state sometimes even after three hours. They were investigated for neurological & other causes for this .
Even the MRI showed changes. Some including a doctor were also started on anti epileptic medicines thinking it to be a seizure! It was systematic analysis with high index of suspicion which revealed that it was happening due to Gas Geyser in the bathroom. In winters generally the bathroom windows are closed especially while bathing . This results in accumulation of Carbon monoxide(CO) -a gas which has 250 times more affinity for Hemoglobin in blood than oxygen ( O2). Co typically competes with O2 , not only attaches itself to hemoglobin but also displaces it form hemoglobin. This results into severe oxygen deprivation of brain and unconsciousness.
If at all you must install a gas geyser it should be out side the bathroom.Bathroom windows must be open for ventilation. GO FOR SOLAR ENERGY.!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Quality of life in Asthma and no emergency please.
Emergency room visits can surely be minimized , inspite of increasing incidence of asthma.
The key issues are to accept the diagnosis and follow the methods which can control the disease and improve the quality of life. Often people have the tendency to deny the label of Asthma , they consider inhalers as habit forming , they fear steroids in inhalers and have a myth that this should be the last resort.
Even educated and not so much moneyed have shopping around behavior for the above fears.
They are ready to accept very prolonged and troublesome treatment with hidden salts and unscientific alternate therapies in spite of no definite health benefits , but they fear proven scientific inhalers. The symptom free periods in seasonal asthma are automatic , but they give credit to homeopathy or aurvedic salts.
Health education on continuous basis in friendly way is the only method to keep patients on appropriate scientific treatment.
There is always some amount of ongoing inflammation in the airway even in asymptomatic phase. Doctor , with the help of lung function tests and eosinophil counts etc will decide when to stop and when to restart the inhaler. In seasonal allergies the inhaler may start in preseason even if there are no symptoms.
Patients worry the restart of inhaler as though doctor is useless because she could not stop the inhaler for ever.
The aim of treatment should be good night sleep, being able to do all physical and other activities with pleasure , minimal side effects of medicines , being able to control the attacks oneself with help of rescue inhaler and no emergency room visits. This will improve quality of life and is possible with all the instructions of qualified doctors
The key issues are to accept the diagnosis and follow the methods which can control the disease and improve the quality of life. Often people have the tendency to deny the label of Asthma , they consider inhalers as habit forming , they fear steroids in inhalers and have a myth that this should be the last resort.
Even educated and not so much moneyed have shopping around behavior for the above fears.
They are ready to accept very prolonged and troublesome treatment with hidden salts and unscientific alternate therapies in spite of no definite health benefits , but they fear proven scientific inhalers. The symptom free periods in seasonal asthma are automatic , but they give credit to homeopathy or aurvedic salts.
Health education on continuous basis in friendly way is the only method to keep patients on appropriate scientific treatment.
There is always some amount of ongoing inflammation in the airway even in asymptomatic phase. Doctor , with the help of lung function tests and eosinophil counts etc will decide when to stop and when to restart the inhaler. In seasonal allergies the inhaler may start in preseason even if there are no symptoms.
Patients worry the restart of inhaler as though doctor is useless because she could not stop the inhaler for ever.
The aim of treatment should be good night sleep, being able to do all physical and other activities with pleasure , minimal side effects of medicines , being able to control the attacks oneself with help of rescue inhaler and no emergency room visits. This will improve quality of life and is possible with all the instructions of qualified doctors
Host Factors in pediatric Allergy
Genes no one can change but triggers are very much in ones control.
Right from the newborn age if we modify the host factors Allergy can be prevented.
Mothers milk can help prevent allergies of all kinds and should be continued for longer than a year.
Mothers diet should be healthy but in infant there should be a delay in introduction of salt as well as proteins , these should be postponed till one year of age.
There should be lot of exposure to sunlight throughout life so that vit D is obtained in sufficient amount as vitamin D,s role in Allergy prevention is well established.
Fresh food should be given instead of preserved and processed fancy ready made or precooked packed food. Artificial food colors should be avoided.
Synthetic clothing and toys with cheap paint should be avoided.
Fresh air ,fresh-food, avoidance of smoking in infants room ,avoiding chemical mosquito repellents are some useful host factors.
Right from the newborn age if we modify the host factors Allergy can be prevented.
Mothers milk can help prevent allergies of all kinds and should be continued for longer than a year.
Mothers diet should be healthy but in infant there should be a delay in introduction of salt as well as proteins , these should be postponed till one year of age.
There should be lot of exposure to sunlight throughout life so that vit D is obtained in sufficient amount as vitamin D,s role in Allergy prevention is well established.
Fresh food should be given instead of preserved and processed fancy ready made or precooked packed food. Artificial food colors should be avoided.
Synthetic clothing and toys with cheap paint should be avoided.
Fresh air ,fresh-food, avoidance of smoking in infants room ,avoiding chemical mosquito repellents are some useful host factors.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Do not stop inhaler.
you may be better but do not leave your inhaler.
People often are worried and anxious about using inhaler. They leave it ontheir own , even on feeling slightly better. This results into flaring of inflammation again in the airways and increasing blockage of airways can again triggor asthma attack.
It is safer option to continue inhaler , disease is more harmful than the continued use,
Research has prooved that inhaled steroids are safe in all ages and prolonged use also does not result into growth retardation in children or bone loss in adults.
So why worry and why be anxious to leave them or experiment about leaving.
People often are worried and anxious about using inhaler. They leave it ontheir own , even on feeling slightly better. This results into flaring of inflammation again in the airways and increasing blockage of airways can again triggor asthma attack.
It is safer option to continue inhaler , disease is more harmful than the continued use,
Research has prooved that inhaled steroids are safe in all ages and prolonged use also does not result into growth retardation in children or bone loss in adults.
So why worry and why be anxious to leave them or experiment about leaving.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Inhaled steroids are safe.
She was just a seasonal Asthmatic without any complications when i first diagnosed her and put her on inhaled steroids. Today when she met me after an year she has become a perennial asthma patient , She had not started the inhaler at all because she feared that inhalers would harm her badly , they would make her short stature and fat etc etc.
some of the friends also gave her the advise not to take inhalers but to go on homeopathy and many other modes exept steroids.
She kept on pulling on as her problem was only seasonal. She had the false sense of security that alternate therapies were curing her till she got into severe attack during the season requiring hospitalization. And now she wheezes throughout the year.
Now she has understood that inhaled steroid is the cornerstone of Asthma treatment.
Inhaled steroids do not have side effects if taken in prescribed doses. They do not retard growth , nor do they cause high blood pressure , diabetes or cataract .
Inhaled steroids are the safest and surest method of letting the anti inflammatory medicine reach the airway where the effect is desired.
Regular and systematic use of inhaled steroids would heal the airways , thus emergency visits would be minimised and potentially harmful drugs like Asthalin and steroids by mouth or injections and nubulisations for emergencies would not be required. Be in control of Asthma with inhaled steroids and improve your quality of life!
Seasonal Asthma is treated in pre seasonal period when you are healthy , it can be prevented and cured with proper treatment.
some of the friends also gave her the advise not to take inhalers but to go on homeopathy and many other modes exept steroids.
She kept on pulling on as her problem was only seasonal. She had the false sense of security that alternate therapies were curing her till she got into severe attack during the season requiring hospitalization. And now she wheezes throughout the year.
Now she has understood that inhaled steroid is the cornerstone of Asthma treatment.
Inhaled steroids do not have side effects if taken in prescribed doses. They do not retard growth , nor do they cause high blood pressure , diabetes or cataract .
Inhaled steroids are the safest and surest method of letting the anti inflammatory medicine reach the airway where the effect is desired.
Regular and systematic use of inhaled steroids would heal the airways , thus emergency visits would be minimised and potentially harmful drugs like Asthalin and steroids by mouth or injections and nubulisations for emergencies would not be required. Be in control of Asthma with inhaled steroids and improve your quality of life!
Seasonal Asthma is treated in pre seasonal period when you are healthy , it can be prevented and cured with proper treatment.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Respiratory allergy April May.
Festival of Baisakhi brings joy to all but misery to the people whose allergy attacks are triggered in this season. They develop asthma attacks severe enough to be hospitalized , thus farmers missing on work in this crucial period of wheat threshing and children missing exams.
The malady is not confined to only farmers or rural background. Its equally prevalent in cities , in adults and children alike. Even for children this period is crucial because of examination period which they are forced to miss because of severe asthma attacks.
It was previously thought that the cause of this allergy is seasonal pollens. but our research has revealed a new allergen for April May respiratory allergy . This is a component of wheat threshing dust and since it is an inhalant allergen it travels far and wide and affects susceptible children and adults in cities and villages alike and not necessarily farmers. It has to be treated very differently.
This problem is best prevented by treatment in preseason period in February March when patients are not suffering. Its a pity that awareness about this prevention is not there even in doctors!
The malady is not confined to only farmers or rural background. Its equally prevalent in cities , in adults and children alike. Even for children this period is crucial because of examination period which they are forced to miss because of severe asthma attacks.
It was previously thought that the cause of this allergy is seasonal pollens. but our research has revealed a new allergen for April May respiratory allergy . This is a component of wheat threshing dust and since it is an inhalant allergen it travels far and wide and affects susceptible children and adults in cities and villages alike and not necessarily farmers. It has to be treated very differently.
This problem is best prevented by treatment in preseason period in February March when patients are not suffering. Its a pity that awareness about this prevention is not there even in doctors!
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